August 27, 1908 – January 22, 1973 Term(s): November 22, 1963 – January 20, 1969 (1 term and 1 partial term ) Political Party: Democrat Vice President: 1st Term: No VP, took office after Kennedy Assassination
2nd Term: Herbert Humphrey (1965-1969)
Lyndon B. Johnson became the 36th of the United States following the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Johnson became known for doing everything in "his own right" and for his improvement of America domestically. His attentative to domestic issues made him a very favorable president, but his ill-advised decisions on the Vietnam War eventually led to his decline in popularity and as a result Johnson deserves a B grade for his presidency.
From the time of his inauguration, Johnson made it clear that his main goal was to continue the policies established by his predecessor, John F. Kennedy, such as the push for african American Civil Rights. Throughout his time in office, Johnson successful continued Kennedy's policies by passing large amounts of legislation and using government power and influence to move the country foward. He then eventually turned Kennedy's policies into his own policy for domestic reform, which was dubbed the "Great Society". This domestic plan included continued push for civil rights, as well as reform of many other aspects of American life. Johnson was again successful in accomplsihing these goals, again by using legislation and government influence to further his "Great Society" program. Other goals of Johnson included deepining American involvement in the Vietnam War. He easily accomplished this by sending ever increasing numbers of U.S. troops to Vietnam, and also by using air assaults to combat the Vietnam soldiers. Although he was successful in all of his major goals as president, the public was largely opposed to some of his policies, mainly his "wastefullness" of American lives in Vietnam and his push for civil rights, which was met with heightened violent opposition throughout the country.
Following the assassination of President Kennedy, Johnson, a Democrat, came into relationship with a Congress that was majority Democrat in both houses. The Congress during Kennedy's administration had been blamed for being excessively lazy and slow to act on the president's policies. Johnson quickly changed this by using his excellent public speaking skills to influence Congress to adhere to his policies. He did this successfully, and without hurting a President-Congress relationship that was proving to be very successful. Along with his election to the presidency in 1964, Johnson's Congress also won an overwhelmingly Democratic majority in both houses. This was extremely beneficial to Johnson because it helped him to jumpstart his "Great Society" programs by using Democratic Congress to carry out his policies through the use of enormous amounts of legislation. While passing influential acts such as the Voting Rights Act and Civil Rights Act, Johnson also had only 30 vetoes, which is surprisingly low when compared recent previous presidents who had had upwards of 600 vetoes. The successes of Johnson's "Great Society" and the large amount of legislation passed attests to the fruitfulness of Johnson's relationship with his Congress.
The most successful of all Lyndon Johnson's accomplishes as president was his "Great Society Program", which was Johsnon's plan for improving America domestically. This program stretched broad spectrum of issues with American society at the time. The main focus of the ''Great Society" was continuing Kennedy's movement on the behalf of civil rights, Medicare and Medicade, an attack on Poverty in America and aid to education. Due to a good relationship with Congress, Johnson was able to use the power of legislation to carry out his new domestic policies. He aided civil rights through such acts as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which made illegal almost every form of racial segregation, and again with the Voting Rights Act which made illegal discrimination in voting. These two acts alone improved the condition of life for blacks in America and was in essence a culmination of everything that had been fought for since the Pre-Civil War days. Medicare and Medicade were plans by Johnson to assist the elderly and families that couldn't afford health care and medical services through the use of goverment funded medical coverage. The "War on Poverty" was Johnson's attempt to erase poverty from American Society through the creation of government economic assistance programs, such as the invention of food stamps. Johnson again used the power of the government to aid the American educational system by funding it through acts like Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which gave large amounts of federal money to public education. Other aspects of the education reform, like the Higher Education Act went hand-in-hand with Johnson's 'War on Poverty" by financially aiding lower income students. The successfulness of Johnson's "Great Society" is accurately represented by the fact that many of the groups and laws he implemented still exist today.
Although Johnson was a very successful president domestically speaking, there werew many negative outcomes as a result of his foreign policy in Vietnam. America had been involved in conflict since the mid-50s, but up until about the time of Kennedy's presidency it had been deemed fairly unimportant and much less critical of an issues than the Cold War with Russia and American domestic issues. About the time of Johnson's election as president in 1964, Johnson began to drastically increase the number of troops in Vietnam. He backed up his actions by preaching the containment policy, saying that communism must be prevented from spreading at all costs and also through re-affirming the strength of the U.S. Military. The public was largely opposed to these actions from the start and becaming increasingly opposed as the events in Vietnam turned out for the worse. The rising activity of the U.S. in the Vietnam region resulted in rising inflation, a distraction from domestic issues and a large number of U.S. casualties. Johnson's Vietnam policy also led to a decrease in his popularity, as American criticisms rose, espically from the young people who were likely to be drafted into the military. This unpopularity ultimately resulted in Johnson's decision to refrain from the election in 1968. Overall, Johnson's agressive policy in Vietnam reaped very few, if any, rewards, resulted in the un-needed loss of American life, negatively effected America at home and served as the undoing of Johnson as a president.
The majority of Johnson's successes as president stemmed from his domestic policies and his "Great Sociey" program. The most long lasting effect of his presidency also resulted from this program, and that is the push for civil rights. Since the beginning of America in 1776, through the Civil War, and even continuing still today, Civil Rights has become arguably the most hotly disputed of all american domestic issues. Johnson's predecessor, John F. Kennedy, had expressed his want for equal rights of all people, and after his assassination Johnson sought to continue with that vision. Important legislation, flowing from the wide mouth of the "Great Society", was the first step in a push for civil rights. Through this legislation blacks were granted freedoms and rights that they had never possessed before. Opposition to civil rights became increasingly violent in an attempt to scare those who pushed the movement foward. Johnson stood firm with his policies and even took action against the oppositon by arresting such figures as members of the KKK. Through his unwavering push for civil rights and equality Johnson was able to set a precedent for futrue generations that action must be taken to accomplish goals, espically a goal as monumentous as the equality of all people. This precedent continues today, as one continually sees a diversifying of American Culture and opportunities for everyone, regardless of their race.
At the end of Johnson's 5 or so years as president America was much better off than it had previously been. The "Great Society" and Johnson's drastic reform of America domestically resulted in an improved state of life for everyone in America, even African-Americans who were becoming more and more accepted due to Johnson's policies. Although he was highly critisized for his foreign policies, espically in Vietnam, Johnson's policies at home in the U.S. were far reaching, foward moving accomplishments, many of which continue today. This improvement of America as a whole is why Johsnon deserves a B grade fo his presidency.
Bibliography
Degregorio, William A.. The Complete Book of U.S. Presidents, Seventh Edition (Complete Book of Us Presidents). 7 ed. Fort Lee: Barricade Books, 2009. Print.
Lyndon Baines Johnson
August 27, 1908 – January 22, 1973
Term(s): November 22, 1963 – January 20, 1969 (1 term and 1 partial term )
Political Party: Democrat
Vice President: 1st Term: No VP, took office after Kennedy Assassination
2nd Term: Herbert Humphrey (1965-1969)
Lyndon B. Johnson became the 36th of the United States following the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Johnson became known for doing everything in "his own right" and for his improvement of America domestically. His attentative to domestic issues made him a very favorable president, but his ill-advised decisions on the Vietnam War eventually led to his decline in popularity and as a result Johnson deserves a B grade for his presidency.
From the time of his inauguration, Johnson made it clear that his main goal was to continue the policies established by his predecessor, John F. Kennedy, such as the push for african American Civil Rights. Throughout his time in office, Johnson successful continued Kennedy's policies by passing large amounts of legislation and using government power and influence to move the country foward. He then eventually turned Kennedy's policies into his own policy for domestic reform, which was dubbed the "Great Society". This domestic plan included continued push for civil rights, as well as reform of many other aspects of American life. Johnson was again successful in accomplsihing these goals, again by using legislation and government influence to further his "Great Society" program. Other goals of Johnson included deepining American involvement in the Vietnam War. He easily accomplished this by sending ever increasing numbers of U.S. troops to Vietnam, and also by using air assaults to combat the Vietnam soldiers. Although he was successful in all of his major goals as president, the public was largely opposed to some of his policies, mainly his "wastefullness" of American lives in Vietnam and his push for civil rights, which was met with heightened violent opposition throughout the country.
Following the assassination of President Kennedy, Johnson, a Democrat, came into relationship with a Congress that was majority Democrat in both houses. The Congress during Kennedy's administration had been blamed for being excessively lazy and slow to act on the president's policies. Johnson quickly changed this by using his excellent public speaking skills to influence Congress to adhere to his policies. He did this successfully, and without hurting a President-Congress relationship that was proving to be very successful. Along with his election to the presidency in 1964, Johnson's Congress also won an overwhelmingly Democratic majority in both houses. This was extremely beneficial to Johnson because it helped him to jumpstart his "Great Society" programs by using Democratic Congress to carry out his policies through the use of enormous amounts of legislation. While passing influential acts such as the Voting Rights Act and Civil Rights Act, Johnson also had only 30 vetoes, which is surprisingly low when compared recent previous presidents who had had upwards of 600 vetoes. The successes of Johnson's "Great Society" and the large amount of legislation passed attests to the fruitfulness of Johnson's relationship with his Congress.
The most successful of all Lyndon Johnson's accomplishes as president was his "Great Society Program", which was Johsnon's plan for improving America domestically. This program stretched broad spectrum of issues with American society at the time. The main focus of the ''Great Society" was continuing Kennedy's movement on the behalf of civil rights, Medicare and Medicade, an attack on Poverty in America and aid to education. Due to a good relationship with Congress, Johnson was able to use the power of legislation to carry out his new domestic policies. He aided civil rights through such acts as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which made illegal almost every form of racial segregation, and again with the Voting Rights Act which made illegal discrimination in voting. These two acts alone improved the condition of life for blacks in America and was in essence a culmination of everything that had been fought for since the Pre-Civil War days. Medicare and Medicade were plans by Johnson to assist the elderly and families that couldn't afford health care and medical services through the use of goverment funded medical coverage. The "War on Poverty" was Johnson's attempt to erase poverty from American Society through the creation of government economic assistance programs, such as the invention of food stamps. Johnson again used the power of the government to aid the American educational system by funding it through acts like Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which gave large amounts of federal money to public education. Other aspects of the education reform, like the Higher Education Act went hand-in-hand with Johnson's 'War on Poverty" by financially aiding lower income students. The successfulness of Johnson's "Great Society" is accurately represented by the fact that many of the groups and laws he implemented still exist today.
Although Johnson was a very successful president domestically speaking, there werew many negative outcomes as a result of his foreign policy in Vietnam. America had been involved in conflict since the mid-50s, but up until about the time of Kennedy's presidency it had been deemed fairly unimportant and much less critical of an issues than the Cold War with Russia and American domestic issues. About the time of Johnson's election as president in 1964, Johnson began to drastically increase the number of troops in Vietnam. He backed up his actions by preaching the containment policy, saying that communism must be prevented from spreading at all costs and also through re-affirming the strength of the U.S. Military. The public was largely opposed to these actions from the start and becaming increasingly opposed as the events in Vietnam turned out for the worse. The rising activity of the U.S. in the Vietnam region resulted in rising inflation, a distraction from domestic issues and a large number of U.S. casualties. Johnson's Vietnam policy also led to a decrease in his popularity, as American criticisms rose, espically from the young people who were likely to be drafted into the military. This unpopularity ultimately resulted in Johnson's decision to refrain from the election in 1968. Overall, Johnson's agressive policy in Vietnam reaped very few, if any, rewards, resulted in the un-needed loss of American life, negatively effected America at home and served as the undoing of Johnson as a president.
The majority of Johnson's successes as president stemmed from his domestic policies and his "Great Sociey" program. The most long lasting effect of his presidency also resulted from this program, and that is the push for civil rights. Since the beginning of America in 1776, through the Civil War, and even continuing still today, Civil Rights has become arguably the most hotly disputed of all american domestic issues. Johnson's predecessor, John F. Kennedy, had expressed his want for equal rights of all people, and after his assassination Johnson sought to continue with that vision. Important legislation, flowing from the wide mouth of the "Great Society", was the first step in a push for civil rights. Through this legislation blacks were granted freedoms and rights that they had never possessed before. Opposition to civil rights became increasingly violent in an attempt to scare those who pushed the movement foward. Johnson stood firm with his policies and even took action against the oppositon by arresting such figures as members of the KKK. Through his unwavering push for civil rights and equality Johnson was able to set a precedent for futrue generations that action must be taken to accomplish goals, espically a goal as monumentous as the equality of all people. This precedent continues today, as one continually sees a diversifying of American Culture and opportunities for everyone, regardless of their race.
At the end of Johnson's 5 or so years as president America was much better off than it had previously been. The "Great Society" and Johnson's drastic reform of America domestically resulted in an improved state of life for everyone in America, even African-Americans who were becoming more and more accepted due to Johnson's policies. Although he was highly critisized for his foreign policies, espically in Vietnam, Johnson's policies at home in the U.S. were far reaching, foward moving accomplishments, many of which continue today. This improvement of America as a whole is why Johsnon deserves a B grade fo his presidency.
Bibliography
Degregorio, William A.. The Complete Book of U.S. Presidents, Seventh Edition (Complete Book of Us Presidents). 7 ed. Fort Lee: Barricade Books, 2009. Print.
LBJ Library Archives Staff . "LBJ Biography." Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library & Museum. University of Texas, n.d. Web. 17 May 2010. http://www.lbjlib.utexas.edu/johnson/archives.hom/biographys.hom/lbj_bio.asp
"Presidential Vetoes, 1789–2008 — Infoplease.com." Infoplease: Encyclopedia, Almanac, Atlas, Biographies, Dictionary, Thesaurus. Free online reference, research & homework help. — Infoplease.com. HighBeam